In the field of camping, there is a need for a lightweight, portable, folding cooking device. This is particularly necessary for backpacking applications. More specifically, when engaging in the activity of backpacking, space for transporting items necessary during wilderness camping comes at a premium. In addition to the size of an item, the weight of an item may also play a major role in determining whether or not the item may be carried in the backpack.
It is especially essential when engaging in the activity of backpacking to reduce weight to be carried by the user. Equipment should generally be compact when not in use so as to fit into the confines of a backpack. Of course, when backpacking, certain foods have not generally been available due to the need to bake such foods. For example, pizzas, biscuits, cookies, muffins or any other foods that could be baked at home are normally difficult to be baked in the wilderness, especially without use of a stove.
Most devices used for camping stove applications include a single burner type oven apparatus. Other devices used for wilderness cooking applications may use wood as a heating fuel. In most wilderness areas, however, open fires are not permitted. Accordingly, several portable devices that may normally have been used for cooking applications may be prohibited in some wilderness areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,604 to Deichler, Jr. discloses a collapsible smoker and oven device. The device includes a center assembly having a rear panel and two side panels hingedly connected thereto. A front panel having a lower door, a medial door, and an upper door is hingedly connected to one of the side panels. The side panels include a plurality of vents and the unit may be collapsed flat. The fire box may be moved to various positions so that the device may be used as a grill, smoker or oven. This device, however, includes several loose pieces that may require a complicated assembly process.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,828 to Schneider discloses a collapsible camp oven, stove top and grill. More specifically, the unit includes a top, a bottom and side walls that are adapted to be positioned between the top and the bottom. Once collapsed, the device may be taken apart into several pieces and positioned to be contained within the top and bottom which interlock with one another. Similar to the device disclosed in the Deichler, Jr. '604 patent, this device may include several loose pieces and require a somewhat complicated assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,229 to Blake discloses a portable cooking and heating device. The device includes a center assembly, and an external burner positioned adjacent the center assembly. The center assembly must be taken apart into several pieces in order to be collapsed. U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,845 to Lanzilli discloses a collapsible rotisserie grill and oven combination. The unit includes folding side panels that may be collapsed, but does not lie flat, and is likely not suitable for backpacking applications.
Accordingly, there is a need for a lightweight, functional cooking device for backpacking applications. More specifically, there exists a need for a collapsible cooking device that may be readily transported in a relatively small storage space and easily assembled with little complications and in a short amount of time. Further, there exists a need for a portable cooking device that may be assembled and disassembled while-minimizing the possibility of losing loose parts.